Refrigerator.



No. 648,!42. Patented Apr. 24, I900.

G. A. BOWEN.

REFRIGERATOR.

(Application filed Feb. 18, 1898.)

(No Model.)

NrIrED STATES PATENT Fries.

REFRIGERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 648,142, dated April 24, 1900.

Applieationfiled February 18, 1898. Serial No. 670,797. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. BOWEN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Fond du Lac, in the county of Fond du Lac and State of lVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Refrigerators; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention has for its object to improve air circulation in refrigerators, increase the strength and durability of their ice-racks, facilitate removal of drip-pans from ice-tanks, and obtain rapid drainage from said tanks.

Therefore it consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings and subsequently claimed.

Figure 1 of the drawings represents a vertical transverse section of a portion of a refrigerator embodying my improvements, the section being indicated by line 1 l in Fig. 2; Fig. 2, a vertical longitudinal section of the same, indicated by line 2 2 in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3, a plan view, partly in horizontal section, indicated by line 3 3 in Fig. 2.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A represents a refrigerator-casing, the latter being of ordinary construction. Arranged in the refrigerator parallel to its rear wall, at a suitable distance therefrom, is another wall B, that extends from end to end of the casing, but does not reach the top or bottom of said rear wall. By the inclusion of wall B a flue is formed that extends from near the bottom of the refrigerator inside the provision-chamber to an'elevation adjacent to a series of apertures b in the rear side of an ice-tank O, suspended in said refrigerator, whereby the circulation of air is improved, there being other apertures 0 shown in the ends'and front side of the ice-tank at a suitable distance from the bottom of same.

The ice-tank herein shown is one of those preferably made from non-corrosive sheet metal, such as galvanized iron, turned over at the upper edges to form supporting-flanges that rest in depressions of the refrigeratorledge; but the means for suspension of said ice-tank constitutes no part of the present improvements.

Riveted inside the ice-tank to extend transversely of the same are angular strap-iron supports D for an ice-rack that consists of a wooden grating having each longitudinal and transverse member thereof enveloped in a metallic sheath d, that covers the top and sides of same, the several sheaths serving to strengthen therack and prevent wear and water-soaking of the Wood. Hence the durability of said rack is enhanced.

. The ice-tank bottom E is of non-corrosive sheet metal longitudinally corrugated, and while its ends may be seamed to the end walls of the tank said ends are herein shown in the form of upturned flanges 6, connected by rivets f with said walls, spacing-thimbles g being employed on the rivets inside of said flanges. The inclined longitudinally-comm gated ice-tank bottom facilitates drainage, and it has upturned flanges h clear of the tank sides, outside the same, these flanges constituting guides on which inturned side flanges v of a drip-pan F have play.

The flanges h of the ice-tank bottom support the drip-pan, and the latter may be held in its engagement with said flanges by any suitable means, it being convenient, as herein shown, to provide an end wall of the ice-tank with a pivotal latch G, designed to be swung in opposition to the single closed end 3' of the pan as a means for holding the latter in place.

The tank-bottom and drip-pan are shown as having drip-openings at one end over a drain-pipe.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A refrigerator provided with a rear flue from end to end of the casing inside the same open at bottom and top, and an ice-tank having lower apertures in the ends and front sides thereof, as well as rear upper apertures immediately adjacent to the upper terminal of said flue above the latter.

2. A refrigerator having its ice-tank bottom provided with upturned longitudinal flanges, rivets connecting said flanges with the adjacent tank-walls, spacing-thimbles on the rivets intermediate of said walls and flanges, and a drip-pan that being open at one end has continuous inturned side flanges that overlap the upper edges of the flanges of said ice-tank bottom and slide thereon when said pan is positioned or removed.

3. A refrigerator having its ice-tank bottom provided with upturned longitudinal flanges clear of the tank-walls, and a drippan that being open at one end has continuous inturned side flanges that overlap the upper edges of the flanges of said ice-tank bottom and slide thereon when said pan is positioned or removed.

4:. A refrigerator having its ice-tank botbom provided with upturned longitudinal flanges clear of the tank-walls, a drip-pan that being open at one end has continuous inturned side flanges that overlap the upper edges of the flanges of said ice-tank bottom to slide thereon when said pan is positioned or removed, and a latch in pivotal connection with the tank to be swung in opposition to the closed end of the aforesaid pan when the latter is in working position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand, at Fond du Lac, in the county of Fond du Lac and State of Wisconsin, in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE A. BOWEN.

VlVitnesses:

JOHN H. GoREs, E. H. CAMERON. 

